Announcing the new partnership with Tulsa-based tech company Engine Room VR, the USA Boxing executive director Mike McAtee said:

"Our USA Boxing coaches and athletes had the opportunity to demo Golden Gloves VR in December during the National Championships in Lubbock, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

"Our coaches see the potential for this as a training tool for their boxers and an avenue to expand the reach of our sport.

"We believe it will also be useful with our Parkinson's Boxing programme and our adaptive sports training.

"Esports is a rapidly growing area with huge potential.

"We’re excited to explore this space and the possibilities it holds for the sport of amateur boxing."

The collaboration includes the creation of a virtual USA Boxing training facility and arena inside the Golden Gloves VR game, which mirrors the official complex at the United States Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

The immersive and progressive boxing experience allows athletes and gamers alike to hone their skills and build endurance on adjustable heavy, double-end, and speed bags with physical properties precisely calculated to mimic their real world counterparts.

Players can advance through the amateur and professional ranks as they compete for titles, facing increasingly difficult opponents, each with his or her own personality and fighting style.

Former professional boxers and world titleholders Micky Ward and Christy Martin voice the Golden Gloves VR in-game ringside announcers.

A two-player mode is in development, which will create a path for future esports tournaments in conjunction with USA Boxing national events.

"Designed for the Oculus Quest 2 virtual reality headset, Golden Gloves VR is endorsed by Golden Gloves of America, a world-renowned name in amateur boxing, and was developed in consultation with professional and amateur boxers and coaches to provide a realistic, immersive and progressive boxing experience where players can train and compete in a variety of virtual settings, everything from a fully equipped boxing gym to large arenas," a press release adds.

"Golden Gloves VR is available for pre-release download from the Early Access section of the Oculus Store.

The early release of the game is also available through Sidequest, a virtual reality content platform.

A PC version of the game will be available soon on popular online gaming platform, Steam.

"Sales of the Oculus Quest 2 virtual reality headsets have exploded in the last few years, reflecting the enormous growth in the virtual reality fitness and gaming industries," says Aaron Sloan, USA Boxing certified coach and owner of Engine Room VR.

"This partnership with USA Boxing is a tremendous opportunity to reach a whole new generation of boxing fans and grow our sport in so many ways."